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"You can't ask a woman's age & weight!" | Don't ever ask someone's salary, political or religious views at work."
These are just some common phrases that goes around when a person or a group of people are caught doing things that are considered shameful and out of line according to societal standards. In other words, it is considered taboo.

Taboo is an integral function of any society. It is one of the main glues that holds a people together.
But what happens when social norms are viewed to be outdated and challenged?
What are the unintended consequences from rejecting norms?

  • Camp 1 (For keeping taboos & social norms): These people view taboos as a necessary social function because they believe that's what maintains group cohesion and keeps everyone in line.
  • Camp 2 (Against taboos & social norms): These people sees taboos as a form of status quo and even stigmatization, often citing that it stands in the way of social progress and keeps marginalized people oppressed.

I believe that many of our current societal decline can be contributed to our moral decline, which is linked to the rejection of certain key social norms.

I often heard people say that morals are subjective therefore "Who are we to say" about this or that, which I counter with "Who are we NOT to say" about it.
While I don't believe in objective morality, I believe we all hold some kind of moral high ground.

Questions to ponder:

  • Are taboos and social norms a safeguard for social order or a hindrance against social progress?
  • Can the erosion of taboos lead to a decadent society?
  • What often causes cultural revolutions?
  • How do you behave when no one is watching?
  • Who gets to decide what should be taboos?
  • What are taboos based on?
  • Who gets to have moral high grounds?
  • Is it bad to have moral high grounds?
  • Is bringing up religion and god during a conversation with someone with mental health and loneliness problems a taboo?
  • Are all morals equal? If not, what happens when they clash?
  • Is tipping culture a taboo? How is tipping perceived around the world?
  • Does suggesting that men can be women and men can be pregnant go against social norms or against reality as well?
  • Is accepting old taboos such same sex marriage and dating considered moral progress or regress?
  • Should LGBTQ be considered a taboo?
  • Should trans people be viewed as taboo or should we fully accept them? (Why or why not?)
  • Is allowing euthanasia and abortion still considered taboo in your country?
  • Is suicide taboo?
  • Do you view talking about sex as an example of taboo?
  • Is it a good idea to ask what your co-workers salaries are?
  • Should talking about politics at the workplace get employees fired?
  • Why is it still taboo to ask a woman's age and weight in many countries?
  • What consequences are people likely to face when they violate social norms in your countries or towns?
  • How are taboos different than laws?
  • What taboos should be retained and never be changed?
  • Do you believe in any timeless taboos in the modern era of constant cultural shifts? (If so, what are they. If not, why?)
  • Are there any objective taboos or are they all subjective?
  • What are some common taboos in the United States?
  • Do you view certain taboos from the past to be outdated?
  • In what ways can taboos protect a group from social harm?
  • What usually happens when differing social norms conflict?
  • Is cultural diversity more conducive to conflict of social norms?
  • How do social movements affect taboos and social norms?
  • Do you feel that we have more taboos than before or less? (Examples?)
  • How do taboos affect feelings of shame?
  • How is shame different than guilt?
  • What are the differences between healthy and toxic shame?
  • What do you consider valid taboos?
  • What do you considered outdated taboos?
  • Should bad behavior be publicly shamed or privately dealt with?
  • What are some common examples of shameful acts?
  • How do individualistic countries and collective countries differ in viewing shame?
  • Have the younger generations lost the feeling of shame in social interactions?
  • How has technologies like the social media affected the role of shame?
  • Should society stop doing fat acceptance and shame fat people from a health scientific standpoint?
  • What are some ways has the lost of social shame destroyed certain people?
  • What are some ways have certain people gotten better due to the lost social shame?

Guidelines:

  • If your name on Zoom does not match your Zoom name, you will be removed or not admitted.
  • Hand raises are required. There are no limits on how many times you can raise your hand.
  • There will be a 2-3 minute timer for every person depending the size of attendees. However, in this group, I do allow a brief back and fourth interjection from others if it's something that's related to the person who was just speaking. This is a way to prevent the group from feeling too "robotic" in style and get your pressing question asked to the speaker and get the answer right away without waiting all the way back to your turn again.
  • Be authentic & civil!
  • Please refrain from using Ad Hominem (personal) attacks. This includes in voice, in meeting chat, and in the comments section below. Instead, please attack the points from others. Severe Ad Hominem such as racist behavior will result in being removed from the meeting.
  • Zoom link is posted well before the day of the meeting but you will not be able to join until 10 minutes before the meeting start time.

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